The Sea of Time
by RoseblossomWarrior
Summary: Why, Grovyle? Why did you leave me?" A one-shot, dedicated to the memory of Grovyle. May come up with a better summary later.


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon!**

**Okay, first off, do NOT read this if you haven't completely finished PMD2 (as in defeating the final, **_**final**_** boss), for it contains spoilers. And yes, I'll admit, I'm obsessed with Pokemon.**

I stood beside the grave, my eyes on the clear sea, the hardest ocean to see. This is where he wanted to spend eternity. I knew this was. I _had_ known it, since that day. . . I mean, what better place to spend eternity than eternity itself?

My heart felt weighted with the grief that had been with me for so long. A tear rolled down my orange cheek. How could I still be sad, after all these years? And all I've done since then: me and Tide exploring the lands, reaching the Master Rank, recruiting Palkia and evolving. Part of me always knows that, well, I'm doing this for him. Not Tide. Grovyle.

My eyes shifted from the endless sea to the grave- well, it wasn't a grave, exactly. It was just a tombstone, a marble tombstone, whose shine could never compare to the shine of Grovyle's heart. Oh, Arceus, how could you let him die?

"He deserved more than that," I whispered.

My mind wandered to the day Grovyle had sacrificed himself. For _me,_not the future, although he had claimed that the future was his first priority. How could he leave me? It must have hurt him so much to say that I and Tide were the greatest of combinations. He may have believed that, but I don't. I miss Grovyle so much, more than I could ever miss Tide. How could I miss Tide, the Empoleon, more than Grovyle?

I shook my head to clear it. Being redundant with myself wouldn't help. But still, I could never, ever forget Grovyle. How Darkrai had ever erased my memory of Grovyle, I'll never quite understand.

I remembered how Tide had brought me back from. . . death? I can't remember. He had missed me so much, and wished and prayed that I would come back to him, and Dialga listened. The selfish part of me wishes he didn't- the only thing I know about my "death" was that Grovyle was there. How I can remember this and nothing else is a mystery to me. Maybe it's because there only ever was Grovyle.

I looked out across the sea, the endless Sea of Time. The past, the future, the present, all flowing together perfectly, forever, thanks to Grovyle. I remember that once, a long time ago, back when my grief for Grovyle was even worse than now, Dialga told me something.

"_Flame, the past is full of memories, both wonderful and depressing at the same time. The future is unpredictable. There is a reason why now is called the present."_

I hadn't understood then, and I don't understand now. I never thought about it much, only ever when I visited Grovyle's grave. I looked one more time at the grave:

**In the Loving Memory of Grovyle,**

**Time will Never Let You be Forgotten,**

**Nor will all the Lives You have Touched,**

**For all You have Done for the Pokemon of the World,**

**We Thank You.**

**Rest In Peace.**

I looked away from the gravestone. Tears streamed rapidly down my face, dripping down onto the ground. I couldn't stay here any longer; my heart felt like it would burst.

I stretched my wings out, and flapped them. I rose into the air, and made my way off of the Hidden Land, out over the Sea of Time. Lapras had taught me and Tide how to cross the Sea. It was actually rather simple- just feel for the time, stretching out all around you, and follow your instincts. If your instincts and actions are pure, you will make it to the Hidden Land.

As I flew over, my heart felt so heavy. I was so depressed, so filled with guilt. _It's my fault he died!_

I stopped flapping my wings. I plunged, straight down, down into the Sea of Time. I fell beneath the transparent waves, and I felt time all around me, pulling me one way, then the next. I gasped, and found that I could breathe. In front of my eyes, each wave held. . . a picture?!

_No. . . that's a part of time!_

In front of my eyes, memories swam to and fro, some of me when I was a Charmander, some with Tide, and. . . I gulped. _Grovyle!_

In this particular one, I saw Grovyle and me in the Old Ruins, when all of Dusknoir's Sableye had retreated, and Dusknoir was weak. At first, I felt ecstatic that Dusknoir was defeated, but then I remembered what happened. . . _Oh, Grovyle, how could we be so stupid as to think Dusknoir was defeated?_

I was pulled away from the wave, to another part of time. This one showed me and Tide, older, with many battle scars, which we have yet to receive. I never got the chance to see what we were doing; the next second, the wave changed, and it showed Tide all alone, old and alone. Then, it changed again, and we both appeared, but we were flickering. We were there, yet not there.

Then, I was pulled away again, and the next wave showed. . . me, right _now, _starting back at myself, like a mirror.

I finally realised, right then and there, what Dialga had meant. As much as we want to go back into the past, to our memories, to our lost ones, we cannot. They are gone forever. And as much as we want to know our future, as much as we want to see what will happen, that too is impossible. The only thing we have is now, where we can remember our past, speculate our future, and enjoy the present. The present is a gift, a wonderful gift, that changes every second. We can never truly feel the same feeling twice. Around every corner is a new obstacle, one that we must overcome, not for the sake of if we die or live from that experience, but because we _tried. _Life is about taking risks, and living to our full extent. Sure, every now and again we cry for the past, and cringe in the fear of future. That's okay, it's only natural. Even the bravest are afraid of something.

I pumped my wings, and pushed myself out of the Sea of Time. Before leaving the Hidden Land, I glanced one more time back at Grovyle's grave. I know what he had been afraid for, above all else: Me. But now, he was gone, and now. . . Grovyle cannot be the only reason why I'm here.

I turned, and flew toward home.

Toward Tide.

**Dedicated to the memory of Grovyle, and all those brave enough to be afraid for someone else. -RoseblossomWarrior**


End file.
